Rainbow Productions Collection

Collection Identifier: C.2009-02

Repository CFA

Abstract The Rainbow Productions Collection consists of unedited B-roll footage from three travel films made by filmmaker Dirk Wales, founder and president of Rainbow Productions. Formed in 1972, Rainbow Productions was a Chicago-based industrial production company that specialized in educational, documentary, medical and sponsored films. The footage in the Rainbow Productions Collection was shot by Wales in California, New Orleans, and New England, with the intention of creating a travel series on these regions, but the project was never completed.

Description

The Rainbow Productions Collection consists of unedited B-roll footage from three travel films made by filmmaker Dirk Wales, founder and president of Rainbow Productions. Wales shot the footage in California, New Orleans, and New England, with the intention of creating a travel series on these regions, but the project was never completed.

Rainbow Productions was founded by Dirk Wales in 1972 in Chicago as a non-theatrical film production company. Rainbow Productions created educational, documentary, and sponsored films on subjects ranging from vandalism to addiction prevention and diabetes. Specializing in medical education, Rainbow made more than 80 films on the subject of anesthesia. Clients included Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Squibb Pharma, and Baxter Laboratories, among others. Filmmakers including Jim Morrissette, Gordon Quinn and Jerry Blumenthal, who would later go on to work with Kartemquin Films, worked on Rainbow Productions projects over the years.

Dirk Wales was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He attended Stanford University and later received his Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA. Wales studied playwriting and stage direction in the University’s Theater Department, where he was a classmate with both James Dean and Carol Burnett. While a student at UCLA, four of his plays were produced and he was awarded the “Best Director’s Award.” After graduating from UCLA, Wales became a combat infantry officer and was stationed in Munich, Germany. Following his service in Germany, Wales returned to Los Angeles where he worked as the Director and Studio Production Manager at KCOP Television (channel 13) in Los Angeles.

In 1969, Wales moved to Chicago, IL to work as a television commercial producer for the McCann-Erickson advertisting agency. Wales founded Rainbow Productions, a non-theatrical film production company, in Chicago in 1972. Rainbow Productions created educational, documentary, and sponsored films on subjects ranging from vandalism to addiction prevention and diabetes. Specializing in medical education, Rainbow made more than 80 films on the subject of anesthesia. Clients included Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Squibb Pharma, and Baxter Laboratories, among others. Filmmakers including Jim Morrissette, Gordon Quinn and Jerry Blumenthal, who would later go on to work with Kartemquin Films, worked on projects with Rainbow Productions over the years.

Custodial HistoryDirk Wales was owner of Rainbow productions and producer of all films in the donated collection.

Access Restrictions This collection is open to on-site access. Appointments must be made with Chicago Film Archives. Due to the fragile nature of the films, only video copies will be provided for on-site viewing.

Use Restrictions CFA owns rights to all film materials in this collection. No restrictions.